[dba-Tech] WD-40

[Arthur Fuller]

I know that this is a tad off topic, so perhaps you might choose to file it
under "Useless information and little-known facts."

The product was oriiginally developed as a Water Dispenser, designed to
repel water and thus prevent rust. After the company's 40th attempt, it
finally got it right. This resulted in the name WD-0, and it was originally
sold for just that single purpose. But soon afterwards, customers began
using it for other purposes, from spraying bicycle chains to using it as a
lubricant. When the company realized this, it decided to repackage the
product in aerosol cans. Sales went through the roof, to the point where by
1960 a can of WD-40 was to be found in 4 out of 5 households.

When hurricane Katrina struck, sales of WD-40 skyrocketed. Millions of
people used it to rescue objects of all kinds, shapes and types from water
damage and potential rust damage.

I see two morals in this story: 1) Though you might design your product for
one use, you never know what might happen; think of the history of Viagra,
which was not developed for its now most frequent application. 2) Listen to
your customers! They are far more valuable as input than focus groups and
so on. It's not the end of the world for marketing teams, but they have to
learn to listen to the customer.

Arthur

-- 
Arthur